Noah Wyle: I found the whole prospect of my Falling Skies role terrifying

Actor Noah Wyle rose to fame in ER and now plays a militia leader in Falling Skies. He talks to Metro about sci-fi, protesting and
George Clooney.

Noah Wyle wasn’t a fan of sci-fi before he worked on Falling Skies (Picture: Getty)

You’re not only a fighter in Falling Skies, you were arrested in Washington, DC for protesting against healthcare cuts too. Would you do it again?

Yes, it was a fight worth fighting. It is a very unsexy fight, battling Medicaid cuts, and one that gets little attention, even though it affects everyone, especially if we plan on getting old or disabled at any point. The more I looked at it, the more I saw it as a non-medical issue and more of a civil rights one. I don’t do this sort of thing very often, so when I do, I feel like it’s got some punch.

Why are there so many films and TV shows about the end of civilisation?

Because we’re close to it and we’re curious. And I say that only half in jest – these things always seem to run parallel with technological progress. Whether it’s landing on the moon or developing nuclear weapons, advancements in technology and society are usually very closely related to a rise in science fiction material. Science fiction speaks to hope and to fear – is this going to be something that is going to save us or something that will destroy us?

How did you feel about playing the father of a teenager, Hal, who is played by 26-year-old actor Drew Roy?

It was a little intimidating having to play his father, I have to admit. I was saying to everyone: ‘Doesn’t anybody think this is ridiculous?’ But, apparently, I was the only one.

You weren’t a huge fan of sci-fi previously. Did you have any reservations about taking on the role?

The whole prospect was terrifying, including the challenge of how to make a show from one that I wouldn’t watch into one I would watch and the fact the character is far more physically dynamic and action-oriented than I had ever played before. But all my fears were alleviated completely by my nine-year-old son’s enthusiasm. Ultimately, he is the audience I am trying to win over with this.

How much contact have you had with Steven Spielberg, the executive producer of the show?

We had a phone conversation before we shot the pilot, when he said he used Tom Hanks’s character in Saving Private Ryan as a prototype for what he wanted me to be: a guy who had been an academic and was being thrust into a military role. A guy who, given his choice, would probably have retired into the comfort of his home and family, and was reluctant to accept the mantle of leadership and responsibility. I can associate with that too.

Did you train specially for those physical aspects of the show?

I should have done. Every time I start a job, I go into it with great intentions, which go completely out of the window as soon as I start filming because I don’t have time. But I actually finished the show in better shape than I started from all the running, jumping, diving and carrying a really heavy machine gun. It doesn’t have real bullets in it but it is very heavy.

How do you make those combat scenes look realistic?

Fight scenes are like sex scenes. The better choreographed they are, the better they look. The more haphazard they are, the sloppier they tend to look. And you hope neither will result in a serious injury or permanent damage.

Did the beard stay on, post-production?

It stayed on for a little while, until I did another job earlier in the summer that I needed to shave it for. Now it is off completely, I am really enjoying my chin again for as long as I can touch it.

In the event of an invasion – alien or otherwise – what would be the three things you would grab?

My son, my daughter and an ample supply of duct tape. It seems to be a very utilitarian tool. We seem to have used quite a bit of it to repair costumes and weapons and even fabricate shelter – it is worth its weight in gold.

Could you have predicted your former ER colleague, George Clooney, would end up writing and directing such highly respected films?

Upon first meeting him, absolutely not. I remember watching Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? and thinking that was a huge turning point for him artistically, that he took bigger risks and chances with that movie than I had ever seen him take before. I thought Michael Clayton was another turning point, where he seemed to settle into a maturity and an ease with stillness very few leading men ever adopt. And certainly, after seeing Good Night, And Good Luck, I thought: ‘This guy can do anything.’The second series of Falling Skies begins tonight on FX.